Laundry-rack



No. 620,83l. Patented Mar. 7, I899. M. H. BEAUMONT.

LAUNDRY BACK.

(Applicatibn filed June 4, 1898;)

(No Model.)

T arms when 00.. PNOTO-umn. wnsnluai'ou, o. c.

' NITEED STATES ATENT Fries.

MYRONII. BEAUMONT, OF WEBSTER CIT Y, IOWA.

LAUNDRY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,831, dated March '7, 1899. Application filed June 4.18%. serial No. 682,549. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MYRON H. BEAUMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laundry-Racks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to improvements in racks for laundry purposes, more especially adapted for drying collars, cuffs, and other small articles. In drying these articles in large laundries it has been customary to hang them on racks, bars, or similar articles provided with a series of stationary hooks; but this method is open toa number of objections, among which may be mentioned the accidental removal of the articles from the hooks, their falling upon the floor or hot steam-pipes and becoming soiled or scorched, thereby destroying the articles and requiring them to be relaundered, and the necessity of having to remove the articles one at a time, which often results in tearing out the buttonholes. I'

overcome these objections by providing a rack which can be easily and quickly operated. The collars and cuffs to be dried are applied to the hooks of the rack in the usual manner; but after they are dried they can all be instantly removed from the rack by simply unlocking the rack and opening the hooks by sliding one section of the rack upon the other and holding the rack in a vertical position, when the articles will fall into a basket or other suitable receptacle. This, it will be seen, will save much time and labor. The

' articles cannot be accidentally removed from the hooks while the rack is locked, and the articles are not discolored by coming in contact with the wood of the rack.

The invention consists of a rack composed of two parallel sections, hooks pivoted between said sections, and means whereby the hooks may be locked in an open or closed position with relation to the rails or sections of the rack.

The invention further consists in the detailed construction of parts, which will be more fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention,I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which--.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my rack. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one of the parallel sections removed, showing the hooks in their closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar View with the hooks in their opened position. Fig. 4 is a transverse section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the hooks.

Like letters denote like and corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The rack is composed of two parallel sections, between which the shanks of a series of hooks are secured. The hooks are separately pivoted to each section. The pivots of one ofthe sections operate in slots in the shanks of the hooks, so that the sliding of one section upon the other will either turn the hooks inward against the sections or will force them outwardly therefrom in order to lock the hooks or open them, as will be hereinafter more fully described. I preferably open or close the hooks by means of a lever pivoted to one of the sections and connected to a link which is pivoted to the other section.

B B are the parallel sections of the rack A, each of which is preferably provided with a longitudinal groove Z1 19. These grooves are arranged on the inner faces of the sections B B, the groove 1) located near the upper surface of the section B and the groove 1) near the lower surface of the section B. Suitable slots 0 are provided in the section B, through which pass screws, bolts, or other fastening or clamping means, as at D, to have rigid engagement with the section B. A series of pins E E, spaced a suitable distance apart, are arranged on the sections B and B and so positioned that the pins of one section will correspond with the groove 1) or b of the other section. The shanks of the hooks F extend between the sections B B. These hooks are preferably of the form shown, being broad at the shank and tapering toward the free end, and may be constructed of any suitable material. At a suitable point on the shank is an aperture f, and near the end is a slot f. The hooks F are pivoted between the sections B B by means of the pins E, passing through the apertures f, and are uniforrnly opened or closed by the pins E, working in the slots f.

At a suitable point, preferably at the top of the rack, is the locking device, composed of alever G, pivoted upon one of the sections, as at g, and having an operating-knob g, and a link H, pivoted on the other section, as at h. The free ends of the lever and link are pivotally connected at I.

The operation of the rack is as follows: The hooks having been placed in an open position by a proper movement of the lever G, the articles to be dried are placed in the hooks by threading the same thereon through the buttonholes or otherwise, after which the lever G is turned in the opposite direction, thereby adjusting the hooks to the position shown in Fig. 2. After the articles have become dry the attendant can take one or more racks from the drying-room without the liability of any of the articles becoming detached, and by holding the rack so that the points of the hooks are down and turning the lever G to open the hooks all the articles will at once fall from the hooks. It will thus be seen that the use of my rack will not only save considerable time and labor, but also prevents soiling and perhaps injury to the articles, that more collars and cuffs can be hung up to dry at one time in a given space, that the articles will not be torn in detaching them from the hooks nor discolored in transferring them to proper receptacles, that they cannot be accidentally displaced from the hooks while the hooks are in a locked position, and that the collars or cuffs cannot be taken off without first turning the lever G. This feature obviates the liability of the articles becoming detached and falling upon and being scorched by the hot steam-pipes of the drying-room, which is sometimes caused in removing a rack containing dried collars from among others that are not dry, &c.

The rack can be quickly taken apart or assembled.

I am aware that changes and alterations in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction of the devices herein shown and described as the preferred embodiment of my invention may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof,and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of my invention, as the shape of the hooks may be changed, or in lieu of the grooves, which are conveniently made extending from one end to the other of each section, recesses can be made to receive the heads of the pins,or said grooves or recesses may be dispensed with and the heads of the pins may be countersunk in the hook.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A laundry-rack consisting of two parallel sections each provided with a longitudinal groove and a series of pins, clamping means for holding said sections together, hooks pivoted upon said pins between the parallel sections, and means for laterally moving the hooks to an opened or closed position, substantially as described.

2. A laundry-rack consisting of two parallel sections each provided with a longitudinal groove and a series of pins, the pins of one section adapted to correspond to the grooves of the other section, hooks pivoted on one series of pins and having slots for engaging with the other series of pins, clamping means for holding the hooks between the parallel sections, and means whereby the hooks may be moved and held in an opened or closed position, substantially as described.

3. Alaundry-rack consisting of two parallel sections each provided on their inner faces with a longitudinal groove and a series of pins, one section having slots through which is passed a bolt or screw into the other section to hold the two sections together, hooks pivotally mounted on said pins, one series of pins serving as pivots for the hooks while the other series work in the slots of the hooks, and means whereby the hooks may be moved and held in an opened or closed position, sub stantially as described.

4. A laundry-rack consisting of two parallel sections each provided with a longitudinal groove and series of pins, the protruding ends of the pins of one section working in the groove of the other section, a series of pins serving as pivots for a series of hooks while the other series of pins ride in the slots of the hooks to manipulate the same, clamping means for holding the hooks between the sections, a lever pivoted upon one of the sections and a link fastened to the other section, the free ends of said link and lever being pivoted together, whereby the hooks are held in an opened or closed position, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MYRON- H. BEAUMONT.

Witnesses:

J. L. KAMRAR, B. B. FENTON. 

